Manning tries to extend successful run against revamped Texans defense

The Texans have lots of history with Peyton Manning, almost all of it bad. More than any player, Manning slowed the development of the NFL’s newest franchise. It’s no coincidence the Texans became a playoff team only after he took a season-long hiatus in 2011 because of multiple neck surgeries.

Now, the sorry past meets a hopeful present in Denver. Manning may or may not be the same super-sized obstacle the Texans remember — they saw him at his possibly new-normal worst and his old-fashioned best against Atlanta on Monday night — but there’s no question the Texans represent an altogether different kind of challenge than the one he grew so comfortably familiar with through nine seasons as Indianapolis’ quarterback.

And Manning will hardly recognize the Texans on Sunday, save for the bull decals on their blue helmets. While they took plenty of baggage to Denver with them to meet their old nemesis this weekend, it was the kind you put socks and a shaving kit in, not that psychological or emotional stuff. Manning the Colt owned the Texans.

Manning the Bronco must start over.

He hasn’t faced Johnathan Joseph or Danieal Manning in a Phillips defense. He doesn’t know Glover Quin from nothing as a free safety. He has never had to cope with Connor Barwin operating off the edge. He hasn’t had to launch footballs with trajectories that J.J. Watt, the second-year defensive end with his condor-like wingspan, can’t disrupt. He hasn’t felt the quiet fury second-year linebacker Brooks Reed brings on every snap.

It’s apples and oranges
This won’t be the Texans’ defense he routinely embarrassed, a defense that intercepted just eight of his 642 passes. (The Falcons, by comparison, picked three of Manning’s first eight throws.) Even in the two — of 18 — games the Texans won while he was under center for the Colts, he threw for 433 yards and three touchdowns in the first one while posting a 135.3 rating in the other.

Both were at Reliant Stadium, too. The Texans never did get a piece of him on his home turf in Indy.

But under Phillips, the NFL’s finest restorer of defenses, the Texans have seven new starters, and none of the four holdovers from 2010 is being asked to execute even remotely the same scheme. It’s apples and oranges.

Brian Cushing was asked if he feels more comfortable going against Manning with Phillips calling the shots.

“I just feel better playing football with him (because) of the confidence he gives us, and the game plan,” Cushing said. “It’s really so simple. He doesn’t try to overdo anything. He knows who his playmakers are. He has everyone in the right position. He’s one of the best defensive coaches there is, in my opinion. I guess you could say he’s made football a lot more fun.”

Less so for Texans opponents, however. Manning has won three of his five games against Phillips-coached defenses, but the numbers aren’t impressive: a 57 percent completion rate with seven touchdowns and seven interceptions. Manning also suffered four picks against Dallas in 2010 after Phillips had been fired as head coach — but that was still Phillips’ defense.

Manning has never posted a rating above 95.2 in a game against Phillips, and his average is 76.6. Facing the pre-Phillips Texans, Manning’s rating was 110.6 and, vs. the NFL at large, he’s 94.8 over a 15-year career.

Manning, 36, looked like his old self in the Broncos’ opener against Pittsburgh but just looked old in Atlanta, certainly early on. But, however much more confident the Texans are confronting him in their new configuration compared with what their mindset was two years ago, they’re no less wary than they used to be. Their respect level wisely remains unchanged.

“He’s got a new team and he’s still getting into a new groove,” defensive end Antonio Smith said. “They did their thing against Pittsburgh, but Atlanta came out fired up from the first snap. You can’t blame all that on Peyton Manning.”

Manning on Manning
His Texans namesake, strong safety Danieal Manning, who has a personal score to settle after losing to the quarterback in the Super Bowl when he was a Chicago Bears rookie in 2006, credited the Falcons with some deft coverage and nicely disguised treachery. But he called Manning’s last interception “just a bad throw. It was a bad play, and Peyton was late with the ball. It would have been a bad throw even if the safety hadn’t picked it.”

The Texans are quick to remind everyone Peyton Manning recovered from the shocking start and nearly engineered a comeback victory over an Atlanta team with Super Bowl aspirations of its own. He learned long ago that NFL quarterbacks must have short memories. The Texans know they’re unlikely to profit from any residual damage in Denver, although Phillips conceded, “It’s probably better to be seeing him early (in the season) rather than late.”

“I don’t think we’re a finished product yet, by any stretch, when you consider this is the first year (Manning) has played in this offense with these teammates,” Broncos coach John Fox said. “There are going to be some growing pains, and it doesn’t happen overnight. We looked at the tape, we learned, and now we’ll try to eliminate the same mistakes. I don’t have any doubt that he’s going to come back pretty good after last week.”

To be sure, the Texans expect Manning’s best shot. But, finally, they’re built to take it.

vs. IND, Week 15, Dec. 16 ,noon, CBS
<p>
Hou 33, Ind 13
<p>
Record: 10-4
Andrew Luck is sacked four times and intercepted three times before his hometown fans but still passes the 4,000-yard mark. less

vs. IND, Week 15, Dec. 16 ,noon, CBS
<p>
Hou 33, Ind 13
<p>
Record: 10-4
Andrew Luck is sacked four times and intercepted three times before his hometown fans but still passes the 4,000-yard ... more